This invention relates to aquarium filtration, and more particularly to a tubular section for promoting effective filtration of aquarium water.
A key aspect of aquarium maintenance is the proper water treatment to ensure a healthy environment to the aquarium animal life. Waste material from the aquatic animals, in conjunction with unconsumed food particles and decay from decomposed dead fish, all tend to accumulate within the aquarium tank and produce toxic materials harmful to the aquarium inhabitants. Various filtering techniques are utilized to remove or transform this toxic waste material. Mechanical filters are usually associated with the aquarium to physically trap the waste particles. These filters can be external or internal type filters.
In addition to mechanical filtration, chemical filtration which uses activated carbon, is frequently utilized to neutralize some of the toxic effect of the waste material. One of the most effective means of filtration, however, is biological filtration which utilizes the presence of aerobic bacteria to convert ammonia contained within the toxic waste into harmless nitrates. The bacteria propagate on all surfaces of the aquarium. Their presence is increased by the provision of an adequate supply for oxygen within the water and sufficient surface area for propagation and growth. The bacteria propagate by intake of the waste material which is then converted into harmless substances.
Within filter systems, there is generally provided a filtering chamber wherein the filtration of the water takes place. Inside the filtering chamber, there is usually provided a filter medium to treat the water and provide filtration. Typically, activated carbon or charcoal may be utilized as well as a fluffy mass of synthetic resin fibers, or floss.
It has also been known to utilize ceramic tubes within the filtering chamber. The ceramic tubes provide water tracks defining passageways through the filtering chamber. The aquarium water is thereby dispersed within the filtering chamber to utilize all of the filtering material within the chamber. The ceramic tubes provide surface area on which aerobic bacteria can grow and propagate within the filtering chamber.
Ceramic tubes have had limited functional use. Because of their ceramic composition, they are heavy and thereby add considerably to the weight of the filter making it difficult to handle and requiring extra support for the filter itself. When placed in a filter chamber, because of this weight, the ceramic tubes will settle at the bottom of the filter and will stay there despite the movement of water through the filter.
Because of the weight and bulky nature of the ceramic tubes, the filter container in which the ceramic tubes are placed, must be of sufficient dimension and sturdiness to support an isolated mass of the tubes.
An additional difficulty with the ceramic tubes is that their production costs are high. Because of this cost nature, it is difficult and costly to discard ceramic tubes and therefore the ceramic tubes are generally re-used after they become clogged. This necessitates having to clean the ceramic tubes which is difficulty, messy, and often time consuming. At times steam cleaning or boiling would be necessary.
Accordingly, while ceramic tubes have been available, they have thus far had limited use especially with external and internal type filters. The ceramic tubes have high cost, difficulty in cleaning, and limited versatility due to their weight.